7x57 and in a Winchester Featherweight.
I could live with that. I'd have to find a used one. That rifle is available in 7-08 and 25-06 in current production and its is a consideration. Those calibers are also available in the Extreme Weather Stainless. They are priced in MRC territory though, and for that much money I'd probably go MRC.
Paul:
Take this for what it's worth. I have both (Fwt and MRC) in 7x57. You're going to be hard pressed to get the MRC down to around 8 pounds since its 24 inch barrel is a "sporting contour," meaning that it has considerably more steel from about two inches behind the muzzle back to the face of the action than the Featherweight. But that extra weight might work in your favor since 1) it's muzzle heavy, giving it a steadier "hang" when not shooting from a rest - at least it does for me - and 2) the extra weight will help absorb some recoil, making it a bit easier on your shoulder. Even though I hunt mainly from stands and blinds, there are still places on our lease where there is a lot of walking and opportunities to still-hunt, and frankly I don't think the extra pound or so of rifle makes that much difference. I suppose if I was hunting sheep I might have a different opinion, but I'm not so I don't. Of course, you could always screw a featherweight contour barrel and composite stock on the MRC action, but you're probably going to be out of your budget by then, and I'm still not sure how close you're going to be to 8 pounds by the time you add scope, mounts, and sling. Mule Deer might be able to help here since his Kilimanjaro is built on an MRC action with 21 inch Douglas featherweight contour barrel, but the stock on his rifle is still wood. If you know the weight difference between wood and composite, you could do the math and come close.
As for loads, if you decide to stick with the 7-08/7x57, with all of the bullet selections out there it will be pretty easy to find something that will work for antelope, elk, and just about anything in between. I generally load middle of the road bullet weights (150-160) at middle of the road velocity (2500-2600). They certainly don't smack me around, especially when I'm shooting the heavier MRC. I use the bench for sighting in, then practice off sticks and/or unsupported field positions - which always results in less felt recoil, especially if I'm using reduced practice loads (2000-2200 fps). By the way, those reduced loads will definitely do a job on feral pigs (CNS shots), so I don't feel at all shy about slinging them at porkers inside of 100 yards or so.
I hope you find the combination you're looking for. Just bear in mind that as far as recoil is concerned there is always a trade-off between bullet weight/velocity and rifle weight, but I believe you'll be able to come up with at combination that works.
RM
